Sealing device.



A. E. IRONS. SEALING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 24, 1911.

1,038,373, Patented Sept. 10,1912.

FIG. I

INVENTOR HrckieEC Irozw I ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOLIRAPM 00.,wASHlNu'ION. D. c. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIE E. mons, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Application filed November 24, 1911. Serial No. 662,145.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARCHIE E- InoNs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention'relates to a scaling device for the housing of electric, gas and Water meters, and the primary object of my invention is the provision of simple and effective means for closing and sealing the lid and cover of a receptacle or structure, whereby the lid or cover cannot be moved and the interior of the receptacle or structure tampered with.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lid and cover fastener that can be easily and quickly placed in position, locked and sealed, without resorting to the use of specially designed instruments or tedious manipulation of parts.

With the above and other objects inview,

- the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements can be changed, as to size, shape and manner of assemblage, without departing from the scope 'of' the appended claims.

In the drawings like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of an ordinary and well known type of meter provided with a sealing device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the locking devices. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the locking device having a flat end. Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive are views of various modifications of the locking device. Fig. 9 is an elevation of a portion of a screw stud that can be used in connection with a lid or cover plate. Fig. 10 is an elevation ofa nut designed for said stud. Fig. 11 is a per- The reference numeral 1 denotes, by the way of example, a meter or structure having a detachable cover 2 provided with openings 3 to receive studs 1, carried by the meter or structure 1. The studs have the outer ends thereof provided with a few screw threads 5, and arranged over the outer ends of said studs are the outer ends of locking arms 6. The outer ends of the arms 6 are bent to form a housing 7 having one wall thereof provided with. a circular opening 8 and the opposite wall thereof with a hexagonal, rectangular and octagonal opening 9. Associated with the housing 7 is a cylindrical tubular nut 10 having the inner end thereof reduced to provide a portion 11 snugly fitted in the opening 9 to prevent the nut from rotating relatively to the housing. The outer end of the nut 10 has a knurled cap 12 provided with an open ing 13, said opening having the walls thereof screw threaded to receive the threads 5 of the studs 4. The inner ends of the arms 6 can be provided with apertures 14:, or bent outwardly, as at 15 and provided with aper-.

tures 16. In either instance, the apertures 14 or 16" receive a conventional form of looking or sealing device 17 for holding, the inner ends of the arms 6 together.

Before describing the modifications of the invention. it is thought best to consider the manner of assembling the sealing device and a few of its advantages.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inelusive, the arms 6 are first placed upon the studs 4:: with the inner walls thereof against. the cover plate 2. The nuts '10 are then placed in the openings 8 upon the studs, with the reduced ends thereof engaging in the openings 9.v The arms 6 can then be upon the threads 5 of the studs 4 and when the innerends of the arms 6 are brought together they can be connected by a seal. The arms 6 serve functionally as wrenches or levers for rotating the nuts .10 and' the rotation of said nuts is-very, slight on account of the few threads on each stud. As the nuts 10 are adjustably supported by the of the nuts. The stud designated 18 has a longitudinal groove 19 with the inner end of said groove terminating in a spiral groove 20. The nut designated 21 has an inwardly projecting lug or teat 22 adapted to engage in the spiral groove 20 and facilitate the adjustment of the nut 21 against the arms 6. The nut 21 can be quickly placed upon the stud 18 and when the spiral groove 20 is encountered by the lug 22 of said nut a very slight movement of said nut tightens the cover 2 upon the structure 1.

In Fig. 4 a single piece of material 23 is doubled upon itself with the doubled end thereof providing a housing 24.

In Fig. 5 the arm is made of a single piece of material doubled upon itself with one of the outer ends bent to cooperate with the other outer end in providing a housing 27. In connection wit-h the housings 24 and 27 a nut similar to the nut 10 is used.

In Fig. 6 a single piece of material 28 is employed to form the arm, the outer end of the piece of material being bent, as at 29 to engage the cover plate. The piece of material 28 has an opening 26 to receive the hexagonal portion 30 of a nut 31, said nut, with the exception of the hexagonal portion 30, being similar to the nut 10.

In Fig. 7 a single piece of material 32 is employed and the outer end thereof doubled upon itself, as at 33 and provided with an opening to receive the hexagonal portion 30 of the nut 31.

In Fig. 8 two pieces of material 34 and 25 are employed, this form of arm being similar to that illustrated in Fig. 5, with the ex- 41 to receive a beveled spring pressed pin 42 arranged within a socket 43 provided therefor in the nut 38. The outer end of the nut 38 is knurled, as at 44, and the pin 42 is beveled whereby it can readily ride upon the end of the arm until the nut 38 has been tightened upon the threads of the stud. Then the pin 42 will prevent a rearward rotation of said nut.

A further modification is illustrated in I Fig. 13, wherein a housing 45, a washer 46 and a nut 47 are employed for retaining the end of an arm 48 upon a stud 49. The outer end of the housing 45 engages in an annular groove 50 provided therefor in the nut 47 screwed upon the outer end of the stud 49.

The inner end of the nut 47 has ratchet teeth 51 and engaging said ratchet teeth is a beveled spring pressed pawl 52 arranged for positively retaining the cover 2 upon the structure 1.

It has been the practice for some time in sealing meters to-screw winged nuts or other devices on the studs of the meter and attach thereto either wire or straps to prevent the winged nuts from being unscrewed. This necessitates giving the winged nuts numerous turns to screw it against the cover and offers no means of making a close adjustment between the sealing straps or wires, the nuts and the meter cover. This practice permits of the nuts being loosened suiliciently to loosen the cover of the meter and insert a thin piece of metal between the cover and meter to interfere with the mechanism of the meter. The manner in which I arrange the arms 6 and the nuts prevents said nuts from being loosened without breaking the seal connecting the arms. It is through the medium of the nuts that adjustment is obtained for correctly positioning the arms to be sealed, it being possible to adjust the nuts within the outer ends of the arms whereby a slight rotation of the nuts will lock the cover plate and correctly position the inner ends of the arms. It is 100 obvious that rectangular, hexagonal or octagonal nuts can be employed and that the pitch of the threads in connection with said nuts and the studs can be such as to permit of a very minute yet rapid adjustment of 105 the nuts.

When the studs and nuts shown in Figs. 9 and 10 are employed considerable time is saved in fastening and unfastening the cover plate of a meter.

What I claim is 1. A sealing device for meters, in combination with the meter, studs carried thereby, and a cover arranged upon said studs, of arms arranged upon said studs and having 115 nut holding means, nuts adjustably supported by said arms and adapted to be screwed upon said studs by a movement of said arms, and means for connecting the free ends of said arms together.

2. In a sealing device for meters, the combination with a meter, a stud carried thereby, a cover engaging'said stud, and an arm arranged upon said stud against said cover and adapted to have one end thereof sealed 125 whereby said arm cannot be moved, of a nut detachably supported by said arm and adapted to be screwed upon said stud by said arm, said nut having provision whereby it can be adjusted relatively to said arm 130 to permit of said arm being correctly positioned for sealing purposes.

3. A sealing device for the cover of a re ceptacle, comprising cover supporting means carried by the receptacle, arms having the outer ends thereof mounted upon said supporting means and engaging the cover and capable of having their inner ends connected together for sealing, and hold-fast devices arranged in the outer ends of said arms and engaging said supporting means for forcing the outer ends of the arms against the cover to tightly lock the same when the inner ends of the arms are correctly positioned for sealing.

4. A sealing device for the cover of a receptacle comprising cover supporting means carried by the receptacle, arms having the outer ends thereof mounted upon said sup Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

porting means and engaging the cover and capable of having their inner ends connected together for sealing, and hold-fast devices arranged in the outer ends of said arms and engaging said supporting means for forcing the outer ends of the arms against the cover totightly lock the same when the inner ends of the arms are correctly positioned for sealing, said hold-fast devices capable of being adjusted in the outer ends of said arms whereby the inner ends of said arms can be correctly positioned for sealing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIE E. IRONS. Witnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, MAX H. SRoLovrrz.

Washington, D. G. 

